[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 161 (Friday, September 28, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 28, 2018

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues Mike 
Thompson, Jackie Speier, Salud Carbajal, Anna Eshoo, Jimmy Panetta, 
Barbara Lee, Ro Khanna, and Zoe Lofgren, in recognition of the Save the 
Redwoods League's centennial anniversary. Fulfilling its ongoing 
mission to protect and restore California redwoods and connect people 
to the peace and beauty of redwood forests, the League's work ensures 
these iconic symbols of our great state can be treasured for 
generations to come.
  Founded in March of 1918, the Save the Redwoods League was started by 
a small group of conservationists disturbed by the accelerating rate of 
destruction of the primeval redwood forests in northern California that 
held the tallest trees on earth. In response, the League committed to 
protecting the coast redwood and giant sequoia forests by purchasing 
multiple ancient groves and establishing a state or national park to 
protect them. Following its incorporation as a nonprofit organization 
in 1920, the League established a memorial redwood grove on the South 
Fork Eel River in 1921, the first of more than 1,000 memorial groves in 
California.
  In addition to raising millions of dollars to establish redwood 
preserves, the Save the Redwoods League was a leader in the grassroots 
movement to create a California state parks system, lobbying for 
legislation and campaigning for funding of the acquisition of park 
land. Fifty years after the League's inception, Redwood National Park 
was created in 1968, in part due to the tireless advocacy of the League 
and its partners to protect some of the last remaining stands of uncut 
redwoods.
  Over the last century, the Save the Redwoods League has protected 
more than 200,000 acres of redwood forests and helped create 66 redwood 
parks and reserves that inspire millions of annual visitors from around 
the world. Today, the League is a respected voice in science-based 
research and a pioneer of innovative forest-restoration work that is 
accelerating the transformation of young, harvested stands into the 
old-growth forests of the future. Through its Redwoods and Climate 
Change Initiative, the League's research established that old-growth 
redwoods store more carbon per acre than any other ecosystem in the 
world and play a critical role in the fight against climate change.
  Save the Redwoods League, now celebrating its hundredth anniversary, 
has played a critical role in protecting the majestic redwood forests 
of California that fill us with wonder and provide a living link to the 
past. Throughout its next century, the League will build upon this 
legacy by advancing its efforts to protect the remaining old-growth 
redwood forests, restore younger forests to a healthier state, and 
connect more people to the beauty and uniqueness of California's 
redwoods.
  Mr. Speaker, after a century of achievement and operational 
stability, the continuing success of the Save the Redwoods League has 
preserved a part of California's heritage and touched the lives of 
millions around the world. It is therefore appropriate that we stand 
together in recognition of this momentous occasion.

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